493 



usually uuide of four or the stakes nbout seven feet long, some of 

 theni foiked where tliey met in the centiv, the other ends being 

 driven into the ground, at distances sulUcient to give a central 

 elevation of four or five feet. The^e were covered witii bouglrs 

 and bark, and, in some eax'S, with grass or reeds and rushes, and 



tire, tlu^'r- })acks close u> tlie wurley where it touched tlie ground, 

 and their he;ids nearly ;it the eentn; of the half circle ; so that if 

 awake they had a cle.u- view of the tire and of the ai)pi-oach of 



wurley and use tin- niaterial from it to till up the original doorway. 



make tliat alteration at night. Tiiey were \ery timid in the dark, 

 and particularly so, if rain put out their tires, which was often the 

 case as their tires were only made of small sticks. Tlieir powers 

 of vision at night did not seem to be nearly so i,'reat as those of the 

 white man; but in da\ light, their range of sight far surpassed 

 tliMt of the European. Tliis wa.^ obsoi-vcd in their simple and 

 unexpressivo ge:,turos when pointing to anything a long way oli', 

 not that they weni incapable of energetic expression wlien the 

 search was minute and urgent. Althoui^h T could make a very 

 fair imitation of the aboriginal wurley, and do many other things 

 pretty well equal with themsohe^, yet 1 was never able to pit)- 

 duce tire in their way. T have trie<l it repeatedly but could ne\or 

 get beyond the production of smdce. 



In the performance of their corroborees, more than the usual 

 quantity of fuel would be supplied to their ordinary tires ; and 

 while the old men, women, and children supplied the vocal parts, 

 and beat time by striking their waddies on little mounds of earth 

 mingled with grass, the middle-aged and young men performed 

 their portion on the other side of the lire— retiring into the dark- 

 ness or advancing to the light, as the sentiment required. The 

 whole atrair would conclude with a brilliant tableau in which the 

 natives showed their agility by dancing, with naked feet, on the 

 red coals and scattering" them in all directions. They never beat 

 time on skins : such a rough practice would have made it impossible 

 for them to have supplied themselves with rugs for necessary wejir. 

 The following will give some idea of the musical part of the cor- 

 roboree. There was no variation, except in expression and intona- 

 tion. The children would sing it first, then the women, after that 

 the men, and lastly all together, concluding with tremendous 

 " oughs " or grunts. The song : — 



